Outlands
by SeekerA
Summary: People become adventurers for a wide variety of reasons. Some seek fame, some seek riches, some seek answers. Some are just along for the ride. Some want to improve not just their situation, but themselves, or the whole world. But in Tharsis, all have a single goal: Reaching Yggdrasil.
1. The Runemaster

It was early morning when he made it to Tharsis. A stern man in the robes of a runemaster. He had chosen to devote his life to the quest for knowledge, hanging onto organizations sympathetic to such pursuits, but never actually joining them.

As time passed, he had felt stifled, beginning to wonder if all the knowledge he was collecting would serve any purpose with him. His goal had been to uncover the secrets of the ancients, and use them to improve the world… but on the other hand, hadn't the ancients fallen, and their world with them?

The secrets would lie within their ruins, and the living legacies they had left - Yggdrasil, a name calling to mind legends. A few of their labyrinths had already been conquered, but news traveled slowly, and their secrets were still uncertain. Rumors were flying that at least one had been destroyed, and one enduring story held that there had been a cover-up in the city Etria in the eastern islands.

He had been on the way to Tharsis because while there tales of an Yggdrasil nearby, it was a subject of some debate whether it was genuine, something similar with a different origin, or mere falsehoods. Tharsis _was_ at the edge of the known map, so anything seemed possible. And then the local count had spread the word that he wanted it's secrets brought to light.

"Reach Yggdrasil and uncover the truth!"

Well, with luck he would be the one to find out.

But he couldn't do it alone. Even with the runic spells he had researched, entering an Yggdrasil labyrinth alone was suicide. He would need to hire a company of explorers…

But what sort of person seemed likely to join him?

His first stop would need to be the Explorers Guild.

"So, are you a new explorer?" The old man in chainmail and a breastplate asked, "Welcome to Tharsis."

"Correct. Thank you." He paused to allow the guildkeeper to continue his introductions. With all of the would-be explorers enticed by the count's challenge, he probably said these exact words dozens of times per day.

"This is the Explorers Guild, where your kind pools their talents. It's something like a mutual aid society. Now if you want to operate in this city as an explorer, you have to be part of a guild."

He was well aware of that. And while he disliked being attached to any group, it would be unreasonable to continue as he had been. Which is why he'd decided, "I intend to start my own guild."

"Oh, so you want to create your own rather than joining someone else's?" The guildkeeper seemed pleasantly surprised by this. Hopefully, this would mean he would have a selection of other recruits to work with. "Then write a name in that ledger. Though your guild will be your whole identity in Tharsis, so think it over carefully before deciding on a name."

He picked up the ledger and looked closely. The blanks for names were rather small, and he could see that many previous guilds had needed to abridge their intended names… Well if that was how it was done, he would follow suit.

In cramped script, he signed up as the leader of T-seeker.

"Inconvenient, I know," the guildkeeper smiled as the new guild leader handed the ledger back to him. "The Truth-seeker guild, then. Very well. Here's hoping you can live up to the name."

"It is the goal of the Count's invitation," T-seeker's leader said.

"Speaking of, you'll want this," the guildkeeper quickly filled out another paper and stuffed it into an envelope. "It's a letter of introduction that'll get you into an audience with the count."

The guild owner nodded and slipped the letter into his robe.

"Next, you'll want to register the explorers you want in the T-seekers' guild and form an adventuring party. It's up to you who to recruit, but you can't go wrong with a balanced party."

"And how do I do that?" he asked, "Do you have a list of people waiting for spaces to open up in a guild? Or do I go out on the street and pass out invitations?"

"Heh. A lot of people try both. Of course, you'll want _these_," the guildkeeper passed along a small stack of cards.

"I, [blank]

of Guild [blank]

,hereby give [blank]

permission to join."

He stowed these away next to the letter.

"And I can look up some likely-looking prospects for you while you're here. Here's something..."


	2. The Landsknect

He sized up the young woman as she walked into the room. Black hair - or was it purple? - beige clothing, a blue plaid skirt and sensible boots over black tights. And more to the point, a sheathed dagger on her hip.

"Ms Maurice?" the newly christened guild leader asked for confirmation.

"Yes, who's asking?" Maurice shot back.

"A fair question," he responded, producing an invitation card he'd filled out while waiting for her to arrive. "But as far as it matters, I now own a guild and I'm looking for recruits. The keeper told me you're a licenced "Landsknect" - a swordfighter?"

"Yep, and we both how easy it is to write a name down on a form - I was just coming here to start my own guild," she said, looking back up from his name on the card. She simled, having found something humorous in the situation. "So tell me why this interview shouldn't be the other way around?"

"You have a point," he conceded, "Should I take that to mean you're not interested in joining the Truthseekers?"

"Just a joke, I didn't mean it like that," She laughed off his question. "If you're as serious about fighting as you are about running things, this might work after all."

"Alright, I'll play this game. I do not intend to wait back at base and let you do all the work," the guild leader said. "I would be right behind you, sniping the more durable enemies we'd be facing."

"We have a base?"

"Well, not as such…"

"Joking!" she said, "Anyway, if you want to rain firey death on the monsters while I get up close and personal, that's fine with me. It's what Landsknecting is all about."

The two thoughts of "I prefer lightning, usually," and "I'm not sure the word Landsknecting would mean that" thankfully jammed in his brain and prevented him from saying anything about them. "...Pleased to be working with you. I'll see about preparing for an expedition once we have a few more people…"


	3. The Medic

Guild T-seeker had decided to go to the nearby clinic to look for a likely recruit.

"Why exactly are we going here when we still have a dozen other people on the list to check first?" Maurice asked.

"Because the role we're looking to fill must be done carefully. A medic's job is to keep the rest of us alive. Considering that, I've decided it would be better to hire someone better at medicine than adventuring, if feasible," the leader explained. "And if this doesn't work, we'll know how the clinic operates and be able to go back to the guildkeeper's list." He knocked on the door.

It was opened by an older man, probably in his thirties, with frizzed hair and a white labcoat with a nametag attached. He seemed well prepared, with a satchel which bulged with glass tubes of substances.

"Oh, new adventurers," the doctor said, "Well, we aren't dealing with any epidemics now, so come on in."

"Thank you," the leader said.

"Nice to meet you," Maurice added.

The three of them stepped into the building, where the doctor sat down behind a desk and the guild took a seat on a nearby bench, which seemed built for five people.

"So, what brings you here? You both look in good health to me," the doctor said. "And I've never diagnosed a patient wrong before."

"It seemed best to explore the city before exploring the wilderness, especially places we're likely to need."

"I guess that's one way to put it," Maurice said, "Well while we're within these walls, how many patients do you take?"

"As many as I need to," the doctor said, "But it's not like I'm the only medic who works here. We spread the work around."

"That's good to hear," the guild leader said.

"Well, you're off to a safe start, but let me give you some advice," The doctor said "Be careful. We don't have as bad a record as some other places, but plenty of explorers go out for their first mission and come back in critical condition. Or they don't at all."

"Yeah, we know," Maurice said, "So we'll be ready."

"Yep, they all say that too."

"Quite the risk. How would you suggest we prepare?" the leader spoke over Maurice's growling.

"First, of, get equipped. Those daggers and tweed clothes you both have are good for regular life, but not enough against monsters. Second, bring medicine, or some healing mage. The things out there may look cute at first, but they can bite hard. And even little scratches can start adding up if they go untreated."

"Sensible. How exactly do you treat people here in this clinic?"

"Well, we keep specialized medicine here, people who know how to use them," He rubbed the fingers of his right hand together, and they seemed to sparkle, "And some magic users of our own, of course."

"Of course. Not having that available would be… foolish,"

"You any good with it?" Maurice asked, picking up on where they wanted this conversation to go.

"Sure. Not as much as the chief though. That guy's something else. The place couldn't run without him," The doctor said, leaning back on his chair.

"I hope to meet him sometime."

"Odd thing to say. You want to get mauled enough to need him?"

"No!" the leader started.

"(He's always like that,)" Maurice mouthed behind the administrator. "How about we see you more often, then?"

The doctor seemed nonplussed by this. "Uh, doesn't that have the same problem?"

"Not necessarily," the guild leader said, producing a small card and handing it over to the doctor, who took it and read it quickly.

"...Wait, you're serious?"

They both nodded. Maurice spoke up, "Sure. It'll be easier to avoid coming back in pieces if we have help while we're outside."

"And it would give you a second support network to take advantage of. You could say no of course… or you can give it a try and see whether it works."

The doctor leaned back at his desk and got a pen. "You guys are pretty blunt operators, you know that?" he said, signing his name on the invitation card. "Fine. I was about scheduled for a vacation anyway. I'll give this a shot.

T-seeker's leader nodded. "We appreciate your help, Doctor Gabriel."


	4. The Fortress

Gabriel had agreed to meet the rest of the guild that afternoon. In the mean time, T-seeker's leaders would recruit a few more people.

The two watched as a heavily armored (relative to them) man joined them in the interview room. He had scruffy blond hair - though not as wild as Gabriels - and a slightly darker skin tone, as if his face was lightly shadowed on a constant basis. He was a tall and stocky sort, about the same age as the guild leader.

"Sir James," the guild leader began, "According to the guildkeeper, you're a licenced Fortress. How would you describe your skillset?"

"Well, it's an odd story. You see, animals just hate me. Always have." James began, "So I learned how to beat them off with sticks."

"Fascinating…" the leader responded dryly.

"That sounds terrible," Maurice cut in.

"Eh, it's something you get used to. Apparently, there's something about the way I stand and move that comes off as a threat to them. Then I thought, what if there's a way to turn this into an advantage?"

"Yes, I see. Get a shield, suit of armor, and use your skills to distract monsters so badly that they would ignore the others cutting them to pieces," he responded, "Though, your story seems odd. Humans are animals of a sort, yet- ?"

"But I don't see anything strange about you at all," Maurice interrupted.

"...Yes."

"I guess I'll see if I can figure out how it works as I go," James said, "A bit of fine-tuning. That is, if you'll have me."

"Yes, I can certainly see a use for you, even without your power," the leader responded, "Let us make this absolutely clear. Your role would be to stand in the thick of combat, with Maurice here, while drawing enemy fire. I'm sure the rest of us can aim around you. Of course, I do expect you to strike them yourself whenever you can."

"Heh, yeah. We'll get a good thick stick for you to use!"

"Okay. I'll go sign up at the front desk then," James said, turning to leave.

"That was pretty fast," Maurice commented once he was out of earshot.

"Well, I saw no problems with him. And we need a full team quickly."

"What would you call a full team?" Maurice asked.

"Tradition is a party of five. I plan to have at least 6 before we head out, so that we have the beginnings of a Rescue party in case of emergencies."

"Well, we still have a few more classes to check out," Maurice took the list from under the leader's nose, "Next is… Oh no…"

"Oh no?" he repeated in confusion.

"Well, guess we'd better call the next candidate," She said, walking away.

"Maurice, what is this all about?"


	5. The Nightseeker

"Alright. What is your name?"

"Francis Tenebre Crowe, the seeker of darkness," he responded, looking rather bored. Francis was a slim man in his late teens or early adult years. He had extremely pale hair which seemed to shadow his face when it seemed like it shouldn't. Outside of the shadow, he seemed a healthy color. He wore a long and open red leather trenchcoat and black leather pants, with a few unnecessary belts attached to both.

"Well then Mr. Crowe. What exactly is it that you do in a fight?" the leader asked, seeming uncharacteristically uncertain.

Francis idly fiddled with a knife in one hand, before manifesting a mirror image of it in the other out of ice. "Whatever I need to."

'Showing off while pretending not to be,' the leader realized, 'A transparent ploy, but for what purpose?'. Maurice leaned next to ler leader and whispered, "Nightseekers are known for dirty tricks and trying too hard to be cool."

"Well then, Mr. Crowe. You signed up as an adventurer, but have yet to join a guild. Any particular reason?"

"No, just waiting for the right opportunity," Francis said, his face conspicuously blank.

"And what opportunity do you expect to find as an adventurer?" the leader probed.

'Fame, fortune, the chance to outshine you two,' was what he did not say. What he said was "I told you that I'm a seeker of darkness. And this bright city bores me."

"I see," The guild leader said, "Well then…"

"I'm fine with letting Francis join," Maurice said, surprising him.

"...Oh. Would you mind?" the leader motioned for the two of them to step out into the hallway. She smiled and walked out with him.

Francis would have fistpumped if it didn't break character for the seeker of darkness. It seemed that he had charmed the girl successfully after all.

"It's not because I take him seriously," Maurice said, in a hushed voice "But you're a strategist, right? And he does have skills we could use."

"Then why him? Why not another nightseeker?" the leader responded in the same tone.

"Because I'm worried a different one will be even worse," She responded matter-of-factly. "The nightseeker image attracts a certain kind of man. And a certain kind of _woman_. It's their choice, but I don't think we want to deal with that. Francis here is inoffensive compared to the others I've had to deal with."

"...If you say so," the guildkeeper responded, still unclear on the situation. "We can always kick him out if things go badly, I suppose."

The two reentered the interview room.

"Well then Mr. Crowe, I've decided to accept you as a member of guild _Truth_seekers. Keep in mind that you will be expected to follow orders and pull your weight in the field."

"...Acceptable," Francis responded. "Until then…"


	6. The Sniper

"Miss Olivia, you registered as a Sniper. However… I can't help but notice something missing if that is the case."

Olivia was a teenaged girl dressed in purple, with a red utility belt and quiver and black boots. Her gray hair was pulled out of the way (mostly) with a purple ribbon. She was also annoyed at needing to face this question. "If you're referring to my bow, it was stolen and destroyed earlier this afternoon. However, I'm far from helpless without it." She drew a dagger - it was a rather common model, it seemed. Every other member of T-seeker had the same kind.

"I see," the guildkeeper chose to believe her for now. Of course, without a bow she would be a sub-par contributor to any battles they found themselves in. But then no one was _properly_ equipped yet. They could afford to prioritize getting everyone their preferred weapon type early on. "Assuming you had one, what could you do with it?"

"I'm a good aim. I've been practicing aiming at legs to disable them," Olivia responded.

"Do we want to know how you've been practicing," Maurice pointedly asked.

"What do you take me for? I'm no criminal," the sniper protested, "I use specially marked targets, like anyone else does."

'Then we don't know if that trick really would work on a monster...' The guildkeeper thought. "We didn't mean to accuse you of anything. But I have one more question: why do you want to become an adventurer?"

"Because civilization depends on the wild," Olivia responded, "So I need to be able to survive out there."

"...Very well. I am pleased to invite you into Guild Truthseeker." The leader stood up and offered his hand.

"It's nice to have a full team we can trust," Maurice said, placing her hand on top of Olivia's when she accepted the handshake.

"Yes. As soon as we regroup with the full guild, Truthseeker will meet with the Count." the leader said, retrieving the letter of recommendation he'd received early that very morning.

"Do we have a base to work out of?" Olivia asked, suddenly realizing just how new the guild was.

"One step at a time," The leader said, "But we won't be working out of the street." 'Right now James and Francis are in the front of the building, and Gabriel's shift at the clinic should be coming to an end,' He thought, 'Perfect timing…"


	7. The Outland Count

Once the 6 members of T-seeker were introduced to each other, it was simple enough to find the Mark Grand Court, seat of government in Tharsis. As Maurice led the group through the front gate, a guard on duty called out for them to "Mind the carpets."

Said carpets were a pale yellow with green diamonds. The Runemaster wasn't one to focus on fashion, but he couldn't help thinking that these weren't the best colors for a carpet. The rest of the room was much better furnished, with fine wooden shelves and a desk, and a couch with fine blue cushions. The red food bowl and knotted purple rope looked a bit out of place on the floor, but no one would argue that they shouldn't be there.

The Outland Count himself welcomed them as they crowded around his desk. He wore a frilly green suit coat with golden trim, had well-groomed brown hair, and cradled a small fluffy white dog in one arm. "You must be more explorers taking up the search for Yggdrasil. No problems finding the Court, I trust?"

"No, not at all," Maurice was the first to respond, "It really stands out."

The count continued, "Welcome to Tharsis, the city closest to Yggdrasil. I am it's overseer; you may call me the Outland Count."

"City closest to _this_ Yggdrasil," Gabriel muttered under his breath.

"The Outland Count reminds me of someone," Olivia whispered to James.

Once the muttering had quieted down, the Count continued. "Here in my grand court, when there are important duties to be carried out, I assign them to explorers as missions. But of all the explorers who arrive in Tharsis, like yourselves, we want only the best on the hunt for Yggdrasil," He paused briefly here, "Before you can set out on your search, you must prove yourself worthy as explorers. What say you to this?"

The guild leader spoke up, "That is acceptable. Such precautions should prevent a great deal of unnecessary deaths."

"Ah, very reasonable of you," the Count was pleased, "In that case, simply accept the mission I have offered and prove your skills." He placed a paper with written instructions on the table.

"Head to the Old Forest Mine to the west and find an Iridescent Ore. Bring it to me, and I'll officially make you Tharsis Explorers. Reward 1000 en" This was followed by space to list the guilds currently attempting this request. T-seeker was soon written here.

The Count took the paper back and spoke aloud for the benefit of anyone who hadn't been able to read the paper. "I'd like for you to head for the Old Forest Mine on the outskirts of the city and excavate some Iridescent Ore. We had thought the vein was mined dry, but the other day, a certain explorer found that there was more to be had."

"We're picking up mere stones?" Francis asked disinterestedly.

"The Iridescent Ore is a pretty thing. Shine light on it, and it refracts it into all the colors of the rainbow…" The Count began, "But it's true worth is not found in its beauty! Though I'll explain more about that if you complete the mission."

The Count looked over the assembled group again. "Now, do I understand right that you've only recently arrived in Tharsis? You must lack the proper essentials."

"That is correct," The leader was the first one to speak up at this.

"So I'll pay half of the reward for this mission in advance. Use that to purchase whatever you'll need." The count placed a small coin purse on the table. Maurice quickly grabbed it, but the leader convinced her to hand it over to him.

Once that was dealt with, the Count spoke again. "The Old Forest Mine is the perfect place to test your skills. You'll need all your strength and cunning there. Once you're ready, head to the city gates, and I'll have a soldier waiting to escort you there. Best of luck!"

The party filed out of the Court onto the city streets.

"Well, that went well," James commented.

"The Count's a softhearted man. Everyone who lives here knows that," Gabriel said, "So, yeah. _Pretty_ sure he's not sending assassins after guilds who're about to actually beat his challenge."

"Wait, _what_?!" several people were caught by surprise at this. The leader wasn't, he'd heard similar rumors before about other labyrinth towns

"Just a rumor about the other Yggdrasils. Nothing to worry about now," Gabriel assured them.

"...Maurice, you lead the way to the shop," the leader said, "I'll meet you there soon."

"Uh, okay. But you have all our money," the landscnect pointed out.

"I'll be careful with it. Just window-shop until I catch up." He made a turn at a nearby crossroads and began calculating an alternate route. It wouldn't do for a guild to see their leader experiencing doubts.

However, that rumor was one thing that was consistent between the Midgard Library's official account of the first Yggdrasil conquest and the other retellings. A renegade in that other city's government had panicked and gone mad in the belief that once _their_ Yggdrasil's mysteries had been found, there would be an economic crash as adventurers stopped coming to challenge it. And because real news traveled slowly, no one outside the region knew whether these fears had proven correct or not.

It was a bit odd that a local Medic would have heard of this, when none of the other guild members had. Perhaps he had heard it from the medicine and chemical merchants he dealt with…

But it was a sobering thought that one could go to such lengths to preserve ignorance, or that a great discovery could make things worse.


	8. The Dancer

As the leader of T-Seeker was lost in thought, he suddenly realized that the city crowds had become denser and harder to slip through. Refocusing his attention, he saw that this crowd was all looking in the same direction - something was at it's center, and this crowd had become an audience.

His curiosity caught, the runemaster looked around for a better vantage point, and noted that some of the buildings had their entrances placed higher than usual, and thus had sets of stairs that could provide better vantage points. He wasn't the only one who had realized this, but there was a bit of open space on one that he could reach without too much fuss.

With a bit of height, he could see what everyone was so interested in. Of course, there _would_ be street performers in such a large place, and with so many immigrants. What caught his eye first was her silvery hair, which dipped down to her waist when she changed direction. Then there was the silk ribbon attached to her wrists which flowed behind her. After that, he became consciously aware that besides a white bra and some glimmering jewelry, there was little covering her chest. It was hard to see her legs from this angle - ironic, since she was a dancer - but he eventually figured out that she was wearing what seemed to be very baggy chaps which ballooned out to hide her calves and outer thighs.

That settled, he tried to focus less on her appearance and more on her movements. There was something in the dance itself that felt invigorating… But before he could pinpoint what it was, she had stopped to take her bows. She'd been dancing for several minutes before he had arrived.

While the crowd tossed a few coins her way and then started to move along about it's business, he realized that he had been thoroughly distracted from his thoughts and his mission. This was not something it would be wise to repeat, as the guild would need his stratagems (not to mention all of his money). But he would also need to learn how to be aware of his surroundings, to be wary of an attack.

Like that one over there.

Damn!

It seemed unnatural how the crowded street had emptied out so quickly. With fewer witnesses, it seemed someone had decided to take advantage of the dancer as she collected her prize from the gutters.

"Well, look at that. The sweet little thing gets money for nothing at all," The adversary was another woman - sallow-skinned, a leather jacket over her corset and a shortsword at the dancer's back. Something about her style seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Real people _earn_ their money. Guess that makes you… trash."

The dancer spun away, placing distance between them and drawing a knife for defense. The adversary had a range advantage, but she'd still need to close in. Time enough for someone to take an interest.

"I'd suggest you leave her alone," The runemaster said, beginning to draw a rune in the air with his hand. His voice was low, but the glow caught their attention.

""Oh, a rescuer hoping to impress?" the adversary said, "Like weak girls, eh? You make me sick."

"That is not the issue, _brigand_. Stealing another's wages by threat or force is against any civilized law. So is fighting in the street. But I think the guards would be on my side," The Volt rune was complete. One more gesture to trigger it-

"Tch," The adversary disengaged. "Her pittance of a wage isn't worth killing you." True enough. The medical bills for treating her electrical burns would make it a phyrric victory, if she was strong enough to throw off the injury long enough to gut him. He wasn't actually sure how well his spells worked against other humans.

Once she was gone, the runemaster reabsorbed the energy he'd drawn the rune with, while the dancer sat down on the curb. "...That hypocritical, evil, jackal!" her feelings burst out.

"Apt description. You have nothing to prove to one such as her." He looked around, to see if there might be more lurking around, "These streets seem more dangerous than I thought."

"All a matter of timing," the dancer muttered, "I'd almost rather deal with real beasts."

"Hmm," The guild leader realized that he had one invitation spare after his recruitment spree. " Well then, if you ever decide to go through with that I might have a place for you."

She stared at the offered card in shock. "...Just like that?"

"You seemed willing to fight yourself earlier. Of course, it's entirely your choice whether to use this card," Because it was dry, he felt it would be alright to drop it on the ground next to her. "Unfortunately, I must be going, but the Guild's doors are always open…"

Later, he finally made it to the blacksmiths to reunite with the other five.

"What took you so long?" Maurice asked, the guild having tired of looking at weapons and armor they couldn't buy.

"The crowds were worse than I expected. Now, what's the price for a good sword or bow here?"


	9. The First Expedition

Guild Truthseeker had six members, but their leader only intended to bring a party of five to the mines. While he'd made his decision while they were buying supplies, he waited until they were at the city gates to make his decision known.

"We'll split up here. If the main party doesn't return by nightfall, the remaining member should come in after us to retrieve… anything possible."

"Uh, boss… Anything that can wipe out five of us can wipe out one of us," Olivia said, clutching her new bow tightly.

"I am aware of that. However, there is also the chance that they won't run into the same beasts. Or that they'll avoid the critical mistake that brought us down. Hopefully we won't need them. Now, this reserve member will need to be comfortable in close combat, because he won't have Maurice or Henry running interference for him."

All eyes turned to Francis.

"Huh. That makes you the only one left who qualifies," Gabriel commented, "Well, wish us luck."

"Well, I think he found the perfect role for you," Maurice said, wearing an insincere smile.

Francis was silent. On the one hand, he was being left out of the adventure. On the other hand, he was trying to present a loner image, and he was being considered the potential equal of all five of his teammates at once. (He tried to ignore the fact that none of said five thought that way for a second.)

"We'll have other missions this difficult for you to prove yourself in later," the leader assured him.

"...Am I to wait here all day?" Francis finally spoke up.

"Just hang out at the bar till evening," Maurice said, "We'll meet you there. Come on everyone!"

The active five turned away from their nightseeker comrade and spoke to a nearby guard. Francis decided he might as well go with their suggestion and walked back into town.

"You're the T-seeker guild, right? The Outland Count sent me here to wait for you," the soldier said, "Before we leave, you're sure you're ready for this?"

"We've prepared every way we can," Henry said, "Nothing else left to do but go."

The guard nodded and refrained from asking any further questions. "Alright. Then follow me."

The Old Forest Mine was a very green place, full of tropical plants and flowers. Palm trees grew next to more mushroom-shaped trees, and the path was overgrown with grass - but it was nothing compared to off the path.

As they had decided earlier, Maurice and Henry were the trailblazers, while their leader stood back with Gabriel and Olivia where they could use their skills in relative safety if anything attacked.

There was an aura of nervousness in the air. They had no idea where the Iridescent ore was, or how big the maze. But they could feel eyes watching them from the underbrush, sizing them up.

When the trail split to go around a large tree, Maurice decided to take the left path. This, as luck would have it, made things much easier for them. For this soon branched off another path to the east, and there, the leader happened to step on something round on the ground, and looked down to see it was a golden locket.

He picked it up to take a closer look. "It seems someone lost this."

"Well, it's sure not one of ours," James said, having turned around to look.

"Perhaps a fallen predecessor…" Olivia mused, "No, no signs of blood nearby."

"So, what? You wanna return it?"

"Well, to do that I'd need a clue who it belongs to." The locket was built to contain a picture, so the leader began fiddling with the clasp…

"Sorry, but you mind leaving that alone? I'm a little embarrassed to let anyone see it," a voice spoke up from behind them on the path. The team whirled around to see a shabby-looking older man. He had a tired expression, greyish hair, black stubble, an old bronze breastplate with an orange cape, and a dark green sack over one arm.

Without a question, the leader held out the locket and let the other explorer take it. "Thanks. So, which guild are you?"

"We're the Truthseeker guild. Who are you?" Maurice responded.

"Me? I'm Whirlwind," he says, "Though that's really just a nickname… Nice meeting you, Truthseeker guild." 'Whirlwind' appraises them again. "You're here for some Iridescent Ore?"

"That is correct," the leader responds.

"Yeah, I think there's still some to be had in this Old Forest Mine," 'Whirlwind' continues.

"Uh, why?" Henry asks.

"Because I'm the one who found it in the first place," 'Whirlwind' said, before pulling a something out of his sack. "Here, maybe this will help."

The leader took the parchment and looked at it. It seemed to be the beginnings of a map drawn by 'Whirlwind,' bundled with a set of drawing implements. He could see the entrance to the forest, and the mining site somewhere to the North of their current position. The rest was conspicuously blank.

"I sketched in where you can find the Iridescent Ore. I hope that helps point you in the right direction," 'Whirlwind' continued.

"This map is incomplete."

"Hmm? The map's only half done? Well, that makes this a great chance to learn to draw your own!" the older adventurer responded. "It's simple. Just draw in the walls and landmarks as you see them, and use the eraser if you see you've made a mistake."

It did seem simple in theory.

"How 'bout it? Think you can draw your own? Don't worry, if I can do it, anyone can!" 'Whirlwind' said after watching the runemaster look through the implements and find a place for them in his clothing, keeping one ready to use. While 'Whirlwind' laughed at his jest, the leader wondered just why the map was so incomplete…"But seriously, you need to learn to draw a map if you're going to chase Yggdrasil. That map's your lifeline."

"When you think you're done with this map of this Old Forest Mine, bring it here and I'll look over it for you. I'll be at the entrance," the man said, before parting ways with the group and walking back the way he came.

The leader looked down at the map. It actually gave the impression that the forest was much smaller than he'd thought, and he took comfort in this.

"Well, time we moved on again,"

As the group moved on from where they met 'Whirlwind,' they soon saw a clearing with something shimmering in the middle. Comparing it's position, to the map made it clear - it had to be the Iridescent Ore. However, there was a thin, deep pond flowing between them and it.

"Anyone know how to swim?" Henry asked.

Everyone looked between each other and shook their heads.

"We'll need to find a way around, then," the leader said, carefully filling in the map as they went.

Before long, the forest apparently decided they had gone unopposed for too long, and a pink creature with a thick grey shell charged at them from the underbrush.

"A Roller. Everyone, battle formation!" the leader said, pocketing the map in favor of the thick wand he'd picked up at the shop to better focus his magic.

Henry walked up to the creature, grinned cheekily and adopted an odd stance with his new mace. Olivia crept around to a better shooting angle and began firing at it's legs. Maurice charged in to slash at it with her sword. The leader and Gabriel decided to conserve their magic for further in and tried to use their wands as clubs instead.

The creature's armor was thick, and it threw itself at Henry for a hard hit. However, the fortress stepped back up to it and batted it away with his mace, and the five ganged up on it to kill it.

"...It seems none of our weapons worked especially well against it," the leader noted. "If we run into one allied with a different creature, it would be more efficient to leave this one to me."

They would have a chance to test that strategy soon enough. For as they continued through the winding trail, they were periodically attacked by more rollers and giant grasshoppers. Fortunately, these "grasseaters" weren't as well armored. In the case that the two were together, the other four could finish off the insect before the leader completed his spell to kill the roller.

As the group walked along the pond's bank, they saw that it ended at a rock formation. No path north there. West, they thought they could see a trail in the underbrush, but couldn't quite reach it. If they were lucky, they could widen it from the opposite side, if they found it. That left the main trail, curving Southwest.

As they continued making their way southwest until they found a way North again, suddenly, they all felt an aura of malevolence. North, further along the path was a monstrous baboon with a cruel expression looking in their direction.

"Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens," the leader muttered, "That creature is stronger than it appears."

"Yeah, let's not rush towards it and get slaughtered," Gabriel said.

"Maybe we won't need to," James said, "It's looking this direction, but I don't think it's paying attention to us yet. It's just… patrolling. Maybe there's a way to slip past it."

"There is," Olivia pointed out, "The path branches to the left again there. If we make it there without getting into clawing range, it shouldn't follow us."

Reaching said path meant moving towards the FOE and entering it's patrol route. But as long as they weren't distracted by a sudden attack by something else, normal walking speed should let them slip past before it reached them. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped onto the branch and the baboon walked behind them without paying them any notice.

The next noteworthy event came when they explored a dead end to the south and found a fan-shaped plant.

"Hm, a Traveller's friend. Lucky to find one," Maurice said.

"What's so lucky about it?" Henry asked.

"They store water in their stalks," Olivia answered, "It makes them good to nibble on."

"Oh, I was getting thirsty," Henry said, "Let's take it."

"No," the leader said, "They're useful to adventurers, but they're just as useful to other animals.

As the others reluctantly turned away, they saw that he was right, and a swarm of grasseaters had gathered. The runemaster began crafting a spell while the others charged them, but it seemed their sudden turn let them catch the giant insects by surprise, and they suffered few injuries in the fight.

"That was a good call, Boss," Gabriel said as they caught their breath, "But now that we've dealt with that, there's no point in leaving the plant alone, is there?"

"You have a point," The leader said, and motioned for them all to pluck a stalk to chew on.

Finally heading north again, the group found the other side of the impassable trail from earlier. It was easier to pass from this side, and in a brief trip through, they cut it wide open. This would be useful for avoiding the baboon on their return trip. Now, they were drawing close to the ore again.

To their surprise, the group found that the last obstacle between them and the field with the mine was an ornate red door. But before they could question it further, they saw that a Tharsis soldier was standing nearby. He confirmed that they were close to their goal, and offered them a spare bottle of medicine, which was graciously accepted. Though they probably wouldn't need it now. They had clearly seen the mine earlier, and there was nothing there to stand in their way.

But when they opened the door…

"No. this _isn't POSSIBLE._"

Giant FOE baboons, the same as the one they'd evaded earlier, patrolled the clearing, circling another small pond in the center and stepping right over the pile of rocks containing the Ore.

"I can see where we were earlier from here. These creatures were not present!" the leader continued to protest.

"Yeah, but they're here now," Maurice said, "No point arguing with our eyes. Guess there's nothing to do but go get it."

"Hold on, fighting those things is suicide," Gabriel protested.

"Who said anything about fighting?" Maurice waited for one of the FOE's to pass by, and slipped behind it. Carefully, she matched their pace and circled the pond with them. When she reached the mine, she bent down to pick something up. But since the second baboon was coming up on her, she had to continue on with just one rock.

"Nice work," Olivia said, as Maurice stepped out of the patrol route. "Except, this isn't the Iridescent Ore. It's just slate."

"There wasn't time to make sure I got the right rock. I guess I'll need to try another loop," Maurice responded, stepping behind the second FOE. This time, she made it back with their goal.

"...Excellent work, Maurice," the leader said, filling out a few last details on the map. "We're done here. Let's take that shortcut and head back to the entrance."

Everyone was a bit sore from the long walk and fighting, but no one was seriously hurt. And what injuries they did have were patched up by Gabriel. On the way back, they made sure to speak with Whirlwind again, who seemed happy with the map they made, and just as happy to let them keep it. He congratulated them on completing their first mission, and reminded them to deliver the ore to the court. The tired explorers agreed that they should do this as soon as possible.


	10. The Ore's Purpose

When they made it back to town, they first stopped by the bar to pick up Francis. Conveniently, he was waiting next to the front door. Next, their top priority was delivering the Iridescent Ore to the Outland Count, so they took a direct route to the Court.

The Count looked happy to see them. "Well done, members of the T-seeker guild! I see you've brought back a fine sample of the Iridescent Ore. I now pronounce the T-seeker guild to be explorers of Tharsis with my official blessing! And of course, there is the other half of your reward to be given." He placed a second moneybag on his desk with a few important papers. "Here you are, then…"

"Thank you, your honor," the leader responded. This certainly felt like an enriching experience already.

"Now, to the main topic of discussion," the Count went on, "Since you have proven your worth, your guild merits a skyship." He emphasized the last word, aware that not every new adventurer would be aware of the concept.

The leader certainly wasn't. "A Skyship?"

"It's a vessel that sails the skies, powered by Iridescent Ore. You'll be searching for Yggdrasil on one," the Count explained. So, this was why the crumbly rock was so important. The Outland Count had felt it appropriate for them to earn their ship by fetching the fuel that would power it.

"Your skyship is ready now at the city gates. Once you claim it, why not make the Lush Woodlands your first stop?" the Count suggested. "The Lush Woodlands is a large, natural labyrinth currently being investigated by many of our explorers. Once you reach the Lush Woodlands, head straight for the pillar of light you'll see. It's an invaluable tool. Oh, and stop by the atelier before you go. I sent them my authorization for you to buy certain necessities."

"Thank you, sir," Maurice said brightly, while the others were still processing all of the information they had just been given.

"Well then, may your way be clear!" the Count said by way of goodbye.

Rather than go to Berund Altier or their airship's dock, their leader instead led them to the Guild Hall. The interview rooms they had used earlier remained the closest thing they had to a base, and he wanted to discuss the previous mission and its results in a professional environment..

"Hey, Truthseekers!" the Guildkeeper spoke up, "There's someone here who wanted to meet with you." He gestured over to someone standing next to the wall, but only the leader recognized who she was.

"Hello. My name is Kylie," the silver haired dancer said, "It's nice to meet you all. I'd like to join you on your adventures."

"Exploring is a dangerous life," Francis said, "If you want to join it, you need to be ready for hardship."

"Like you would know," Maurice dismissed him, "I think we could use another hand right now."

"...Bad crowds, huh?" Gabriel asked, turning to the leader, "Who'd have thought."

"That man saved me earlier. Don't be hard on him," Kylie protested.

"Point stands," Gabriel said.

"We can tell you the full story later. Obviously, the paperwork to have her join is already filled out," the leader said. "It's nice to get your name, Kylie. Here we have Maurice, Gabriel, Henry, Olivia, and Francis Crowe. Now, if we could all find a room, we need to review what we've learned about the Old Forest Mine, the Lush Woodlands… and our new airship." Everyone brightened at the thought.


	11. The Skyship

"...So, the old forest mine has few properties of interest. But if we ever have reason to return there, we should make the most of it," The guildmaster concluded. "As for the Lush woodlands, I think it's safe to say that they will be even more dangerous. The group who begins exploring there should be well rested and in top shape."

"Hmm… It feels a bit different already not having a goal to reach for," James mumbles.

"If something so tiny as a stone in the distance gives you comfort, it should be easy to find something else to seek," Francis said critically.

"Oh, you got something in mind there?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"No. But I do know where he can find someone to point the way," Francis admitted. "If you need someone to tell you what to do, go where people gather."

The leader had a blank look. "...Wher-"

Maurice slapped a fist down onto her open palm. "A bar! Actually, that's a great idea."

"Yeah. And if we ask around and pick up some quest there, he might actually have the chance to do something," Gabriel said.

"...I would like to accomplish something in my first adventure," Kylie said.

"...Well, was there anyone offering when you were there earlier?" the leader asked.

Francis had to come up with an answer that wasn't 'I was too busy brooding to speak to anyone.' "If you're so interested, wouldn't it be faster to go there yourselves instead of basing it off of old information?"

"You left there less than an hour ago," Olivia jabbed a hole through his story, but the leader had already gotten up.

"We need to sell the spoils of our expedition and resupply. We can investigate the bar after that."

While it could be described as a bar, the Dancing Peacock was a surprisingly elegant place. Fine paintings hung on soft red walls, and fancy furniture was placed around a small stage. As it still wasn't night, there wasn't a show on just yet.

They were met by an olive-skinned woman in purple silks. "And you must be the explorers, newly arrived and confirmed by the grand court. My congratulations."

"Thank you, Madame," Maurice responded.

"For a guild such as yours, I hold an additional service. Perhaps you've heard, but here at the Dancing Peacock, you may accept quest which I make note of, and are free to mingle with my patrons for information."

The leader, Francis, and Gabriel shared a look. It seemed that she was making the secondary benefits of the establishment into their main point.

"Completion of these quests is met with commensurate rewards. Many explorers enjoy passing time in this way."

"Uh, question," Maurice cut in, "Where do these rewards come from?"

"The petitioners leave them in my care, to pass on to the guild who fulfills their request," she calmly explained. "And a request I think to be perfect for you was only just posted. Might I ask that you look it over?" She pointed to a nearby notice board. Three postings caught the guild's attention.

"A group of soldiers to the east of the Lush Woodlands are running low on supplies. I want to send them some food." The reward was some medicine.

Another was straight from the Outland Count, but not important enough to be an official Court mission. "The city must always seek out resources if it is to develop. There is word of a kapok grove in the Windy Plains. Find it." For a reward, he was offering two Scopes, which none of the guild knew the use of offhand.

The last was from the shopkeeper they had been dealing with. She was an excitable sort with an accent. "It's mee, Wynne from the Berund Atelier! I can't keep up with all these new Kopis orders. Please bring me two rat fangs!"

"We'll sign up for all of them," the leader said.

"They may indeed be perfectly suited to you. For this first mission, a group of soldiers are exploring the east side of the Windy Plains. But they lack the food to carry on. So your task would be to gather food, and drop it off for them. Their camp is in the forest. I was given to understand that it is in an open area. Freshness is important in food, so you must find and deliver it in one trip."

"As for this one," she continued, "It is from the governor of tharsis… the Outland Count. He wants you to search for a small grove of kapok trees. You can learn more by talking to him at the Grand Court."

"And this one," she continued, "That request comes from the Berund Atelier. They are keenly interested in materials for a sword. They can supply you with more details of the task at the Atelier. I shall await your swift return."

While the guild leader was reviewing the quests with the keeper of the establishment, the rest of the party had scattered to talk to the regulars.

"Have you fought that damned monkey? The Angry Baboon on the first floor of the Lush woodlands?" An older man asked Henry.

"Well, no. I think I've seen them other places, though," the fortress answered.

"It's the number one killer of rookie explorers in this town! You can't just swing at it blindly!If you're gonna take that thing on, don't skimp on defense! You might even wanna think about running away! Because if you die, that's all she wrote! Bwahahahaha!"

Maurice was speaking with a one eyed man. "It looks like you finished your mission. Then let me teach you a few more advanced tricks," He offered.

"Hmm, alright. Can you tell me how to sense monsters better?" Maurice asked.

"Every explorer has some "monster sense," whether it's well or poorly developed. The monster's presence, its breathing, or just the sound of it breaking a twig as it walks, all give it away. That's why you should pay conscious attention next time one approaches. It'll give you a sense for the timing."

"Hmm, I'll try that," she had noticed that she seemed to know how close they were to being attacked, even though they seldom actually saw the enemy coming. Speaking of which, "What can you tell me about Roaming monsters?"

"You've only seen the Nomad Baboon at the Old forest Mine so far, but that kind of enemy is everywhere," The older man warned, "They're damned tough. It's usually best to just run away… but even that takes some know-how. Some monsters don't care about you, they're just following their path. And some will actually chase you. It sounds obvious, but different types of monsters have different patterns or senses, so you can't generalize. But if you start to anticipate their moves, you should start to figure out how to get the advantage."

A lazy maintenance worker began talking to Gabriel. "You cleared the mission from the outland Count? Then you should get started taking requests. Request rewards are an important source of income for explorers. The system's win-win for everyone."

"You don't say," Gabriel said. Obviously he was forgetting the people who lost - falling mid quest, or having the reward snatched from under them by another guild. "You spend a lot of time here?"

"Me? I just come here every so often to check out the barmaid."

That figured.

Olivia had approached a member of some other guild who seemed to be taking a second job as a cook. "Be very careful of the tornados you come across on your airship. One group ran into one, and lost all the food they had been gathering!" The cook said. Clearly this was something he in particular was afraid of. Olivia just nodded for him to continue. "The loss of food before anyone has had a chance to taste it is a tragedy no one should have to bear. Better to throw it to the kangaroos wandering the land! They enjoy vegetables, I happen to know. Ebony carrots don't have any other use but to lure those kangaroos anyway. You can even scatter them as bait."

"Hm, I'll keep that in mind," Olivia said. That sounded like a new type of Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens. If so, throwing food to distract them would be a useful tactic.

An old soldier raised a mug to Kylie. "Hail, new explorer. Take a seat and have a drink, why don't you?"

"Not now, thank you," she responded politely. From what she'd seen of the guild, the leader didn't plan to let them stay long.

"Suit yourself," He lowered his arm, " An explorer's curiosity certainly is insatiable… If they have an errand, they'll even head out at night. Since you seem to just be starting out, let me give you fair warning. Be careful when exploring at night. You're likely to run into terrifying beasts you don't see during the day. It takes some getting used to."

'_I'll need to be ready for that. I hope it will be worth it…_"

After the guild leader had finished signing his name on the list of takers for these quests, the barmaid spoke up again. "The requests will mount up over time. Be sure to check the notice board every so often. Now, shall we start over? Welcome to the dancing Peacock. I hope we will be fast friends, T-seeker Guild."

"Yes," the leader responded. This would be a useful place to visit.

The leader gathered up the others and dragged them out of the bar. They now had other business in town to ask around about.

Back at the Atelier, they spoke to Wynne again. They had dropped off the loot from their first expedition earlier, but she seemed to know right away why they were visiting again.

"Oh, so ya took that request, huh? Lotta explorers been coming around lately. I'm outta junk for swords. So I want yas to get me two of dem Rat Fangs from Tree rats out in da Lush Woodlands."

"Only two?" Maurice asked, unsure how that would help.

"Two's enough ta get on with. It ain't like the whole sword is made out of em. When ya gots em, come sell em ta me. Don't worry, da money yas gets from selling em ain't part of da reward. I'm counting on yas! Buh-bye!"

"Oh, you have accepted my request?" The outland Count asked when T-seekers stopped by again, "That's very reassuring! Are you familiar with Kapoks?"

"I'm afraid not," the leader responded.

"That tree is not grown for food, but for it's several other uses. There is a place in these Windy Plains were many kapoks grow. I want you to search for this kapok grove. Rumor has it that it's somewhere on the northern side of the windy plains," He unfolded a map and gestured to an area. "The A-2 region sounds likely. Now then, if you do happen to find the kapok grove, return here and tell me it's coordinates."

"_It should be good for the shakedown cruise,_" the guild leader thought.

"I think we might be able to do these airship quests without any fighting," Gabriel noted as they stepped back out onto the street, "Although, we'll need to avoid those Kangaroos."

"You have a point. A short flight before nightfall should be worthwhile," The guild leader said.

"Hey, yeh're the T-seeker guild, right?" A red haired man with orange goggles met them at the city gates, "I got a request from the outland count to prepare yeh a skyship. She's all ready to go. Yeh can set sail as soon as she's registered. So, what're yeh going to name her?"

"Um," The leader turned back to the others. "Any suggestions?"

"How about the Blazing sword?" Maurice suggested, "Or something like that."

"The Guardian," James spoke up.

"Night wind," Maurice said.

"Sky Talon," Olivia said.

"We haven't even seen it yet. How can we name it now?" Gabriel protested.

"Try "Windrunner," and see if you can rename it later," Kylie suggested.

"Hmm," the leader thought about all they had found out today. "It will be the Skytalon," at least for the moment, "Now, may we see it?"

"The Skytalon, eh? Got it. The dock's right over there. I'll take care of the paperwork. I made the Skyship myself, so take care of her. I'd explain the controls, but yeh'll learn faster if yeh try it out. Yeh can outfit it at the city gates. Which reminds me, yeh got a piece of kit from the Outland Count. It's called a Foodapult, and yeh use it to… well, yeh probably know already. It's no weapon, but it can come in handy." He paused for breath, "Come by the wharf when yeh're board, and I'll let yeh guys have some other equipment no one else is using. The Cargo Wharf might not seem like the place for explorers, but that's where yeh'd be wrong. I'll explain what I mean when yeh stop by. I'll be waiting!"

With that, they were able to approach the sky ship. It had a bright orange envelope, a small cabin, and a propellor on the back.

"...Disappointing," Maurice said. It looked so uncool.

"Even having a skyship at all is great," Maurice said, "But there isn't room for all of us. Any volunteers for a _second_ person to stay behind?"

After a while, Henry spoke up. "I'll wait till next time. My specialty won't be much good up there."

"No one's would, but thank you," Maurice said. "Alright, Everyone else aboard!"

The skyship christened Skytalon rose from the city gates and out onto the Windy Plains. As expected from the name, strong gusts of wind blew across the skies. Some of the stronger winds seemed likely to sway the Skytalon from her course… Far to the north, they could already see a giant tree towering in the distance - Yggdrasil, their ultimate destination.

The leader rushed to the controls, and tried to use his readings to make sense of them. Skyships were unfortunately a gap in his knowledge. However, judging by which controls were easiest to reach… There. Soon, the ship's course was back under control. However, the winds were not the worst things they would need to deal with. They soon saw the kangaroos they had been warned of - and they were gigantic. Certainly large and powerful enough to jump up and kick the ship out of the skies. They would need to avoid these new FOEs at all costs.

On a lighter note, for them, trying out buttons led to the discovery of a large net, which they could use to catch herds of wild animals. On the first real test, they managed to capture a trio of buffalo. Perhaps they would serve as the meal for the soldiers... Or perhaps the two wild ducks… or the trout…

"Wow, you're good at this this, Olivia," Maurice said, "Care to let someone else have a turn at the net controls?"

"Maybe later," Olivia said, "Meanwhile, I think I see another ship. Maybe we should say hello?"

As they drew nearer to the other ship, with a blue envelope, both prepared a Gondola. The other ship's representative was a man clad in steel armor, whose first action was to bow. He was a blond-haired young man…

"I do not believe we have properly met before, Guild T-seeker. My name is Kirjonen. I am the most lowly of the Holy Rune Knights who serve King Bjornstad. I am pleased to make your acquaintance," he introduced himself

"Nice to meet you. I'm Maurice, former wandering swordswoman," and the only one of the current group brave enough to step onto the temporary bridge, "Back there are Olivia, Gabriel, and Kylie. The boss is busy keeping us steady at the controls. Hold on… We only started today. How do you know about us already?"

"How do I know of you…" Oh, I am familiar with most of the explorers of Tharsis. That is all," he said in a surprisingly boastful manner.

"That's no kind of answer!" Maurice protested, but he was already moving on.

"By the by, I have a request. Would you have any Sakura trouts? If so, I propose a trade."

"But, we don't have any right now," Kylie noted from the exit, looking back at their cargo hold.

"Hm, that is unfortunate. If you find any within the next 3 days, please consider my offer." Kirjonen turned around and disengaged his ship from theirs.

As the airship continued on, they drifted over a group of soldiers waving at them from a forest. Clearly, they were the subject of the request to deliver food to some soldiers. The group quickly killed one of the captured buffalo, packed it into a crate and lowered it down to the soldiers. The soldiers eagerly opened the box and signaled their satisfaction, before starting to dress and cook it. The leader made a note to turn in the request when they were back in town.

Further north was the end of the Windy plains, and natural barriers prevented further travel. The only viable path further north to Yggdrasil was a ravine filled with thick clouds. Visibility was close to nil, so taking the skyship through would be far too dangerous. However, there was a strange monument on the ground south of the ravine, with a green crest that they could barely make out the design of. But further south was the Lush Woodlands, and perhaps more importantly, a similar monument with an identical crest to their side.

'_There must be some connection. We now have more of a reason to explore the Lush Woodlands,_' The leader thought to himself. '_But not now._'

While continuing to drift along, They were lucky enough to catch a Sakura Trout as evening crept over the land. Kirjonen's request now seemed more reasonable. They set a course back to meet up with him again.

"You appear to be working hard, Guild T-seeker. Not overtaking yourselves, I hope?" the knight asked once their ships were properly connected.

"Nope! We're just enjoying the air," Maurice said, walking out onto the bridge..

"Ah, by the by… Have you any Sakura Trouts now? If it won't put you out, perhaps you'd trade me one for something else? I need it to grant a request from the Outland Count. We knights have a duty to assist the nobility."

"Here you go," Maurice said, handing over the trout as soon as she'd made it far enough. "These are rare, but we won't need it."

"I am grateful for your hospitality, Guild T-seeker," Kirjonen seemed pleasantly surprised, "Thanks to you, I can fulfil my obligation to the count. This Bronze Icon is for you. It would please me if you found a use for it in your travels." He pressed the gift into the landskneckt's hand, bowed and returned to his skyship. Maurice and Olivia waved goodbye as his airship disengaged.

"Hmm, I don't know," Kylie mumbled, "He's polite, but he can't seem to decide whether to have a superior attitude or a humble one."

"Yeah," Maurice admitted, "But he's not a bad guy. And if he's working for the Outland Count this time, it's worth it to help. That's probably how he heard of us. I guess we made a good impression."

Going back to investigate the northern area further, they finally spotted the Kapok Grove. The leader marked it's position on the map he'd been idly sketching, then gave the order to return to town.

"We collected quite a bit of livestock and such" Kylie spoke up as they returned, "What should we do with it?"

"Cook it? Sell it?" Gabriel suggested, "Carry them to market? I heard these ducks make good pets, but we'd never be able to handle that."

"Well, between the open air and the easy hunting, I'm sold on the adventuring lifestyle now." Kylie said, "...I was never sure whether I'd have enough to eat as a performer."

"A pretty girl like you not earning enough? Man, your audiences were cheapskates," Gabriel muttered.

When they made it back to town, night was almost fallen. After a trip to market to get their cargo off their hands, their second stop was back to the Court to point out the Kapok Grove.

"We found it right here," the leader said, pointing it out on a currently very incomplete map. However, he'd made sure the distances were accurate, so it should be sufficient.

"Understood," The count nodded as he compared it to his own maps, "Then I shall dispatch my scouts to that location at once. You understand that I can't declare this quest a success until my own men verify it."

"Understood. Should we wait here with you for the report, or come back later?" the leader asked.

"Oh, it shouldn't take too long. Just don't do anything to upset the little one here," the Count nudged his dog.

Maurice took the opportunity to drag James and Francis back from the Guild, and within an hour, they had their answer. "My scouts report that they've just found the kapok grove!" The count re-entered the office from listening to the report. "It seems your information was accurate. With these new resources, the city will prosper. As its governor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Always a pleasure to work with you, your Honor," the leader responded.

"I have already contacted the Dancing Peacock. You may return there to report in and collect your reward."

At The Dancing Peacock, the leader gladly checked off on two of the guild's three accepted quests.

"Welcome back. You had no trouble delivering the food, I take it?" the barmaid said, "Then here is the promised reward. Perhaps I should have you find some food to serve at my establishment…"

"Too late," Maurice said cheerfully, "I already had the rest dragged off to the market. Maybe next time?"

"As for the Outland Count's task…" the leader dragged the conversation back on track.

"Ah, yes. I heard all about it from the Outland Count. The Count has a duty to cultivate his city, so it is not rare for him to enlist the help of explorers. In this way, the city prospers and attracts more citizens. I would be delighted to see Tharsis thrive."

She dug two bottles of medicine and two scopes, "Here are the rewards you were promised. I shall be seeking your help again."

"...What now?" Francis asked as they left the bar.

"We made enough money to all afford rooms at the inn," the leader said, "I suggest we do so."

And so ended the end of the first day of adventuring. But what would happen on the second?


	12. The Second Day

The next morning, the 7 members of Guild T-seeker met in the inn lobby to discuss their next move.

"It's become clear that the Lush Woodlands labyrinth is our only lead. The monuments cannot be a coincidence, but I don't know what they mean," the leader spoke up, "And between one barricading the ravine at ground level, the fog in the ravine at flight level, and the high cliffs on either side extending past the Skytalon's maximum altitude, our effective range is limited."

"Yeah, but there's still a lot we can do in this area," Maurice said, "That labyrinth is a lot bigger than it looks from our ship."

"Yes," the leader mused, "It will be much longer and more dangerous than the mine. On an expedition like this, we'll need to bring our best. However, there too we have limited options."

Maurice joined the leader in looking between the other members. "Our first team handled things well, and I don't see much room for change. I'm definitely coming. And Gabriel and James both do things no one else here can replace." James nodded at this. Gabriel, meanwhile, was too groggy to contribute to the conversation.

"One empty space, then," counting himself. The leader looked between Olivia, Kylie, and Francis.

"Olivia, I know what you are capable of," A second physical attacker who the enemies paid less attention to. "But you two…"

Francis spoke up. "Are you, by chance, assuming that I have not been honing my skills?" the nightseeker asked coldly, driven to action by the sudden realization that being left behind might become a pattern.

"...Have you?" The leader asked, bluntly.

Francis stood up and stepped a small distance away from the group before turning around, drawing a shortsword (Maurice's, which she had since bought a rapier to replace after the early expedition), and a knife at once. "I have been devising new techniques to dispatch enemies quickly."

"...Alright. I'll bring you along this time," the leader said. "I'll look forward to seeing what you can do."

"Then I'll… practice my routine," Kylie said, "It can be useful to support others, but now isn't the time to take risks."

Olivia placed a hand on the dancer's shoulder. "Tell you what, we'll see how well it improves my aim," she said, half jokingly.

"If anything goes wrong, we'll be counting on you," the leader said, before they headed off to the Skytalon.

While the ship flew, they encountered a bright red ship they did not recognize. When the leader put up a signal to parley, a woman stepped out on deck of the red ship. She was dressed lightly for the altitude, and bore a long sword.

"I've seen you in the city square before," the brown haired woman said once they were within earshot, "You're fellow explorers, aren't you?"

"Yes," the leader called back.

"It's good to meet you. My name's Wiglaf. You might not have guessed it, but I'm an explorer too."

"No," Gabriel muttered, the flight having been enough to wake him up fully, "The young lady with a sword and her own airship is an adventurer? Who would have guessed?" he continued in exaggerated disbelief. Thankfully, he wasn't loud enough for Wiglaf to hear.

"Nice to meet ya," Maurice shouted over the propellers. "We're T-seeker. I'm Maurice, here's James and Gabriel. Oh, and our leader. And Francis."

While Maurice made the introductions, Wiglaf kept a friendly smile. "It's good to meet you all. By the way… do you happen to have any golden gooses? I've been looking so long, but I can't find any… If you pick one up, will you share it with me?"

'_Here we go again_,' the leader thought. "Not at present. We'll tell you if we find any." The agreement made, he reset the Skytalon's course.

They next crossed flight paths with Kirjonen again. "You appear to be working hard, guild T-seeker. Not overtaxing yourselves, I hope? Ah, by the by… Have you any Sakura trouts this time? If it won't put you out, perhaps you'd like to trade me for something else again?"

"Trying to make this a regular thing?" Maurice responded, "All right. But we don't have another one right now. Maybe next time!"

The adventuring party arrived at the Lush woodlands labyrinth shortly before 12, and cooked a quick lunch before heading inside, so they would be in top shape. As the skyship drifted towards it, they all had their eyes drawn back to the monument.

"It has to be manmade," James said, "But who could have built it?"

"...The ancients accomplished things that we can barely dream of now," the leader said, "But this matches no language or style I've read of," (probably) "...I don't believe it's a warning, at least. But I can't guess at its purpose."

"...It's secrets lie buried in the fog of ages," Francis said once he thought of it, "Do you really believe you can drag it into the open?"

"I should hope so, Francis Crowe," the leader responded, "And so should you. You _will be helping us_, after all. Otherwise, your presence here is… unnecessary."

"Tch," Francis let out as he joined Maurice and Henry on the front lines. That did not go as planned.

"Well anyway, we'll never know if we don't go into the maze," Maurice pointed out.

"Right, right," Gabriel said, "Well, you've heard my advice already. Let's just get this over with."

The Lush woodlands had similar plantlife to the Forest mine, so after a brief look around, the guild leader turned his attention to the layout over it's appearance, and started work on a new map. The others, however, took the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and pleasant breeze. However, at the back of all of their minds was the fact that the labyrinth was dangerous, and many explorers had lost their lives inside. They all braced themselves in their own way…

'_This forest feels much bigger than the last. I must keep our tactics in mind as we move._' the leader thought.

'_Okay, time for a real adventure this time. Maybe I can try my new elemental sword combo techniques..._' Maurice thought.

'_Okay… monsters everywhere, and I'm an expert on what they can do to people. But we've got some pretty good members this time, and they'll be between me and danger. We might make it._' Gabriel thought.

'_I guess we're not far from the mine on the grand scale. The animals will be mostly the same._' Henry thought, '_Glad I have armor._'

'_Okay, this is the real thing,_' Francis thought, '_No mercy to be asked for or given. Time to show how great I really am._'

To the west as they entered, Maurice was the first to spot a sparkling pillar of light that seemed to stretch up into the heavens. The leader nodded and gestured for them to head in that direction. However, Henry and Francis couldn't help pausing a short distance away and holding up the others.

"A Geomagnetic Pole," the leader said, "So this is what it looks like…"

"That's right," a voice spoke up, and they all looked around to spot a Tharsis soldier they had overlooked while they gazed at the pillar. "A curious thing, isn't it? You touch it, and you'll be able to go to and fro between the city and the forest in an eyeblink."

"Really?" James responded, "How does that happen?"

"Don't bother asking around how it works. It was here when explorers found this maze long ago," the soldier responded.

The leader of T-seeker seemed intent on proving him wrong as best as he was able "The Geomagnetic Field phenomenon is well documented in certain circles. These Poles appear at regular intervals within Yggdrasil Labyrinths… but not usually this far from the tree itself." However, this was enough proof for him to say that the Tharsis Yggdrasil was one of the Seven unless something else came up. "As he said, it has been linked to the entrance to town. Once a person touches it, it will recognize them and allow them to travel back and forth… and to any other Poles they encounter in the future."

There was said to be a way to manipulate the geomagnetic field further for other effects, such as creating links to new locations by supplying coordinates in a language it understood. But few were capable of such feats even among the learned. He wasn't sure he was capable of the same technique.

But the guild didn't seem to be pressing him for these details. He found that… disappointing.

"Well, anyway, it's handy, that you can be sure of," the soldier spoke up, "My advice? Put it to use, and never you mind about the particulars." He then left with a pleased expression.

"Uh, anyway, we should touch it? And any other ones we see?" Maurice said.

"That's right. But there's no need to warp back just yet," the leader said.

So after stopping to each place a hand into the swirling pillar of light and feel it's power long enough to become acclimated to it - and it to them, the party continued on. The first attack by the labyrinth was easily dealt with - two rollers and two grasseaters, while the strongest hoard of monsters they had yet encountered, were little match for Maurice's elemental link slashes and Francis' Ice Knives. Rollers' hard armor were of little use when none of their attackers needed to rely on solely physical attacks anymore.

However, they were relieved to find that there were new species of monsters here. Large purple Tree Rats would sometimes join the Rollers. Thankfully, this meant that it was simple to collect Rat fangs for Wynne. And while exploring, Gabriel noted a good spot to gather Aloe.

But while they were venturing further into the maze, they heard a sudden sound from a nearby thicket. No sooner did they draw their weapons again, than a herd of monsters leapt from the underbrush! At first, it looked like another herd of two rollers. But they all saw that one of them was gleaming gold.

"Concentrate all attacks on the shining one," the leader shouted, "Don't let it get away!"

Suffice to say, it didn't. Although it did last long enough to hurl itself at Francis, who dodged nimbly while it's glow brightened.

"...Okay, they're dead," Henry said, "What was that all about?"

"They're called "Rare Breeds,"" the guildmaster explained, "Various superstitions have it that they're stronger than usual monsters, or that good luck will come to one who slays them. What I know for sure, is that they're cowardly. No, I should say, paranoid enough to run from a fight."

"So, you just wanted to make sure not to let it run away?" Henry asked.

"Either way, they aren't to be taken lightly," the leader said, "If nothing else, winning this fight was a good experience."

Further along the winding trails, they stopped to note something unusual. The path was littered with wood splinters, as if an entire wall had been torn apart. On reflection, they'd already seen fallen, honey-smelling logs blocking otherwise viable looking paths, but they had moved along past them quickly lest animals attracted to the smell attack. But more importantly, this meant there was something in the woodlands strong enough to splinter large amounts of wood at once.

While the leader was thinking about what could have caused that, Maurice motioned for them to stop. There was yet another log barricade down another trail. But this one clearly had something behind it. Even at this distance, and with the small size of the cracks, they recognized a large bear. A large FOE bear.

"What now," she said quietly, although, "We're out of it's range for now. But if we get too close, it'll tear through that barricade and chase after us."

The guild leader nodded. "Yes, it probably will. However," a thought crossed his mind, "Maybe that's what we want."

Everyone turned to him with surprised and suspicious looks. "Didn't think you were the crazy type," Gabriel said, "You _want_ that thing to catch us?"

"Catch, no. Chase and break logs, yes. Several paths have been blocked off. If we can lure that bear to them, it might clear the way for us. I know it's risky, but…" He passed around the map he had been drawing, "We've already investigated every branch we can reach. The only open one leads right past that bear - and it won't let us pass without us leading it out of the way first."

"...I guess you're right," Henry admitted.

"This trickery is our only choice," Francis said, not letting fear show on his face. "...Interesting."

"There are some barricades nearby. We should know quickly whether the smell of honey on them will be enough to attract its attention away from us."

The leader took back the map and outlined a path on it. "The moment that bear rushes after us, we run back south, circle around this spring, and back to here. Are you ready?"

After a few seconds of consideration, everyone nodded and stepped towards the bear and barricade. All too soon, they heard that the FOE had noticed them, and began tearing at the barricade. (Apparently, this one hadn't been honey scented, else it would certainly have broken out by now already.) In a few seconds, the bear had torn the log barricade asunder and roared to the sky as it stepped forward.

"Now!"

They rushed along the planned route. Before long, they ran past the first barricade, and heard the bear's footsteps pause as it sniffed. They gained several meters as it tore apart this one too. And then the next one. And the next one… The adventurers and the bear couldn't see each other anymore, but they knew it was still chasing them. As they continued through the path it had been guarding, they turned a corner and realized that one of the barricades had been a shortcut, and the bear had closed in on them again.

"There!" The leader pointed at a large door on the other side of the clearing. It seemed to be part of an old ruin that had otherwise ceased to exist, nestled between two thickets. However, it worked much like any other door, and they knew a bear wouldn't be able to work it, nor would it be likely to uproot wet, living trees just to get at them.

After they slammed the door behind them, the heavy breathing of the bear faded as it's footsteps calmly strolled away. It had lost all interest in them immediately.

But shortly after they had evaded one enemy than they spotted another - an Angry Baboon was attacking. The party all winced, weapons at the ready.

Then James walked up to it. "Hold on, this isn't an FOE. I heard about this one at the bar," he said as the wild beast started tearing at him, "It's still tough though."

"Then we'd better go all out," Maurice said, "Francis, Boss, you're with me. Try an all out Ice attack!"

It was worth a try. Maurice tutted as Francis made it to the Baboon first, slashing with Ice Knives. She hit next, with an Ice Linker. The leader concluded with an Ice Lance rune. Or perhaps not a conclusion, as an echo of Maurice's blade followed up on his spell.

"Did it!" Maurice cried out, "Except that it's not weak to ice." Indeed, the afro'd baboon was largely unphased. "I'll try Electric Link next."

"Very well," the leader said, preparing his Lightning Rune. Francis decided to try his normal blades next.

This was no more effective than the previous combo, but the damage was building up. One more round should do it. Maurice had exhausted the energy she needed for special techs, so she lunged in for an ordinary strike with Francis, while Gabriel healed up the beating James was taking grappling with the monkey. This, as it turned out, was enough to finish it off.

"So, what do you think of that combo?" Maurice asked, panting over the baboon's corpse.

"It helped a little," the leader said, "We should keep in in mind for enemies we know are more vulnerable to elements."

Further in the forest, The group encountered a Tharsis soldier lounging in the corner of a clearing.

"Hm, you guys are new to me. Do you come here a lot? More to the point, do you need anything?"

"What do you mean?" the leader asked.

"I do a small trade in things from the city to help out explorers," the soldier explained, "At least take a look at what I have." What he had was a broad-bladed sword for 1000 and an Ariadne thread that could be used to warp back to Tharsis for 250. This raised suspicion, since the usual price of Ariadne thread in town was 100.

"While the sword looks interesting, I'm afraid we can't pay your price yet," not without returning to town to sell the spoils of the labyrinth, "Perhaps next time?"

"All right. I'm not going anywhere."

Shortly after this, they discovered a shortcut which would make it much simpler to return to the airship. It was decided that this was a good idea, because while they were all still healthy, they wouldn't be using any powerful techniques anytime soon. Thus, another Baboon would be a deadly opponent of they were unlucky enough to find a second one.

It was late at night by the time they made it back to town this time.

"...You're late," Olivia said, arms crossed at the entrance to town, "I was about to head after you, but then I realized that we only have one airship."

"Sorry," Maurice said, "This maze is a lot bigger than the last one."

"We'll need to discuss how rescue missions will need to work tomorrow morning," The leader said, "We may have an alternative route… But for now, we have errands to run before going to sleep. Specifically, business at Berund Altier."

Now dat we got da rat fangs, we can finally carry dose Kopises again!" Wynne said, appraising the collection of plant and animal parts the guild was selling off to her and digging out the en to pay for it. "Dat sword's real popular wit explorers since it's cheap, sturdy, and easy ta use. I recommend it!"

"We'll give it a look," the leader said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, tanks a lot! Ya can get da reward from dat lady at da bar."

At the bar, they wasted no time confirming the success of the quest.

"There have been scant few requests from civilians at this bar," the bartender commented, "You might think of quests as a bridge between you and the citizenry here. Here are the Ariadne Threads that constitute your reward. Now, you will not have to buy one next time, yes?"

"Yes, very useful," the leader said. "On another note, have any new quests come in?"

The barkeep smiled, "Yes, in fact. And they're both for a place you're aquainting yourself with well."

"We'll look at them tomorrow. Let's go to the inn, team."


	13. The First Floor Complete

While T-seeker was at the inn, they held another meeting.

"...So now that we can use the Geomagnetic field to travel, we can have our rescue party use that to catch up," Maurice explained.

"But, don't we need to touch it first to use it?" Kylie said. "We haven't had the chance yet."

"Yes, but that's easily fixed," the leader said, "The Geomagnetic field lets people travel between poles. Therefore, if we can travel from the Woodlands to the entrance to town, then there is a Pole at the entrance to town." Someone must have set the Lush Woodlands' pole to lead to Tharsis city in the past, else touching that single pole would not have been useful for present day guilds. But forcing a destination in that way creates a second pole at the intended destination, that can then be used normally. "We can bring you two along as passengers briefly, then come back to take the airship."

"Wouldn't it be faster just to use the poles and forget the airship until we're done with this labyrinth?" Olivia pointed out.

"Faster, yeah. But we meet all kinds of people in the air," Maurice stated, "And remember how we can hunt from the ship? I finally got a chance to try it. It's easy, _and_ where half of our income is coming from."

"Moving on, that does leave the matter of Timing," the leader changed the subject, "It seems that the expedition team might not be making it back by dusk easily in the future, but that doesn't mean they won't be back at all. We'll need to decide on rendezvous times before heading out..."

Eventually, they did go to bed. The next morning, they had errands to run before going back out to the dungeon.

There were a few new quests posted at the bar:

"Defeat a violent baboon! : THe communal box in the Lush woodlands is being ravaged by an Angry Baboon! We need someone to get rid of it! Reward: Luck hammer"

"Ah, yes, this request… It is a task of retribution from a beginning explorer," the proprietress said, "In the first floor of the Lush woodlands, there is a wooden box where some leave items for emergencies. Do you know it?"

"Yes, I've seen it," the leader said, thinking back. '_The instructions were to leave or take something, depending on your means. Unfortunately, we had nothing worth leaving, and there was nothing to take at the time, so we ignored it._'

"That box is frequently the target of Angry Baboon attacks. It is most vexing for those who need it most," she continued, "That is why they wish for you to subdue the monster. If you have seen it, you'll remember that the box is in the northern area of the floor. If you seek advice on fighting the angry baboon, that man drinking there is quite knowledgeable on the topic." She pointed to an old hunter.

"I see. And this other quest?"

"Culantro, please: I'd like to use some Culantro in my cooking. Can somebody get some of that herb from the Lush Woodlands for me? Reward: Nectar x2"

"That request? It is from Dalla of the Saehrimnir Inn."

The innkeeper. He couldn't remember if he had heard her name before.

"She wants someone to retrieve an herb called Culantro, which grows on the first floor of the lush woodlands labyrinth. The Culantro supposedly grows deep in the hidden path at the far north of the floor. It has a very distinctive scent," The proprietress explained.

"Thank you. That should make it much easier to find."

"The area can be hard to find, so look closely and carefully at your map. I shall be awaiting your swift return."

The guild leader sat down next to the baboon hunter, noting that his guild had taken a table to themselves this time. Well, that was their affair. "I've heard you know something about baboons?"

"You're the ones taking care of that damn monkey? Glad someone's got some backbone!" the aged baboon hunter seemed to have a naturally loud voice, "But spirit won't help you if you charge the Angry Baboon head on like an amateur! Real pros don't neglect their defense! You gotta wait for the right moment to strike before belting it one! When you take on the angry baboon, the best offense is a good defense! You rookies to this game need to learn that quick!"

The guild leader parsed through this set of exclamations for useful information, but found little of value. However, if there was a way to keep the baboon from landing a hit on someone vulnerable besides placing Henry in front of it, it would be useful...

As he stood up again, he happened to bump into a fortress who had just walked in. Apparantly, he'd recently come back from his own excursion into the woodlands maze. Asking him for more information about the layout seemed prudent. "Hm? You want to know how to get to the hidden passage on the first floor of the lush woodlands? There's nothing over there but some funny-smelling plants. You guys have some weird priorities. Well, get yourself chased by that bear monster on the west side, and I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Meanwhile, an apple cheeked explorer had joined the rest of the guild at their seat. After the seven of them exchanged introductions, they began exchanging tales about their aerial adventures. "Since you guys just started on your journey through the skies, let me warn you about two things. First… the Dragon! If you see it in the sky, don't do anything crazy. Just coming near that enormous, bright red fire dragon will provoke it into tearing you to tiny pieces! Second… the Pooka! It's so cute that no amount of skill will result in anything but disaster! It's said that whoever catches one is guaranteed good luck… But even if you find one, it fluffily runs away!" she sighed, "Do they hate me that much!?"

"Well, they'd run from anyone, right?" Kylie pointed out, "Still, I'd like to see one…"

The Geomagnetic pole at the entrance to town was concealed in a small warehouse. It looked odd how the pole could flow up into infinity and still fit entirely underneath a roof, but such seemed to be its nature.

After a quick jump back and forth, Olivia and Kylie had the chance to discuss their first impressions of the labyrinth.

"It's not really a surprise that it looks like the forest mine. The same plants grow all through the plains," Olivia said. Kylie nodded, although she hadn't seen the mine the first time.

"Who should we bring along this time?" James asked.

"Well, sorry Olivia, but we didn't have the money left over to buy a better bow," Maurice said, "We'll be taking Francis along for now."

"Fine," Olivia said, looking to the side, "But I get the next upgrade. And think about bringing Kylie along sometime," the sniper grinned slyly, "You won't be disappointed in what she's been practicing."

"I'll keep that in mind," the leader said. "Now, as for what you two should do, wait at the labyrinth pole starting at sunset. If we're not rushing towards it in an hour, try these routes," he pointed at some specific parts of the map.

When the party finally made it back to the box. they had already faced one Baboon that day. Francis had had a burst of inspiration and made dealing with it much easier by blinding it with sand. Perhaps the same strategy would work twice?

Then they approached the box, they saw the monster had it's back to them, jealously guarding something. This one was their target.

The leader nodded, and the group forged ahead… As they drew near, the monster sensed their presence and turned to face them. But before it could make the first move, the party charged!

While Maurice and James got in the monkey's face, Francis ducked low and scraped his sword across the ground, throwing up a spray of dirt at the creature's eyes. The leader, meanwhile, drew an Ice rune in the air. This wouldn't harm the beast on it's own, but it would make the monkey more susceptible to other ice-based attacks - and themselves less vulnerable, but that didn't matter right now. The first round went off without a hitch. The baboon was blinded before it could swing at James, and now it was time to go all out. A flurry of ice based moves left the baboon crippled. And with one last blow from Francis, the monster cried out and collapsed on the spot.

"Nice work, everyone!" Maurice said beaming.

"We've gotten much more efficient at dealing with the creatures here," the leader noted, "Francis Crowe, you've managed to impress me. Keep up the good work."

"...Hmph, naturally," the nightseeker was cheering inwardly.

Maurice doublechecked on the box. "Hm? Someone left food in here."

"Well, that explains everything," James commented.

"Yeah, it's just common sense that food attracts animals," Gabriel said, "The instructions suggest rare medicine or Ariadne Thread. Not something the Monsters can use!"

"We'll report this later," the leader said, "Meanwhile, we should clean out this box before it attracts another one."

"Hmm, to reach the secret northern passage, we'll need to draw the bear's attention again. The goal must be behind it's favorite spot-"

He was cut off by a sudden roar. Without a barricade to bust down, the bear began chasing them sooner this time. They were still a few steps ahead of it, until suddenly a swarm of butterflies flew in front of the party, blinding them. While Maurice, James and Francis tried swatting them out of the way, the bear was able to catch up to them.

"Never mind the Woodflies, just run!" Gabriel said, dodging beside the bear's swiping paw and dragging the leader forward through the front lines. As they broke away from the fight, the medic and runemaster led the way while the others followed. They had no more margin for error.

"Damn, it's a dead end," Gabriel said, as they dashed around and behind the trail the Bear usually patrolled. There was a small clearing, barely enough to turn around in.

"Not quite," the leader said, his sharp eyes picking out a small trail through the trees that the bear was too large to fit through. "This way!" Ignoring the underbrush tearing at them, the group slipped through single file, and the bear lost interest in them.

"...That was too close," James said.

"Yes, I was careless," the leader said, filling in the map. "We should wait here while the bear returns to his usual position…" Indeed, the bear's footsteps grew more distant. When it seemed safe, he motioned for the expedition to return and investigate the area further. The bear would not be turning around again.

As they investigated, they found another hidden path, with a pungent scent drifting from it. Checking through this one, they found several plants that smelled this way. This had to be the Culantro. But that wasn't the only thing there. There was also a large box.

"All this time, and we finally found a treasure chest!" Maurice exclaimed cheerfully, prying it open. Inside was a well-crafted knife.

"This would be a Main Gauche…" the leader said, recognizing the design, "A useful blade…For offense and defense- James, it should suit your fighting style the best, for now."

James nodded, and took it. Meanwhile, Gabriel spotted a healthy patch of Culantro and picked it. "Alright, this should do. Should we turn back now?"

"No," the leader said, "We still haven't mapped out this floor completely. But there shouldn't be much more to it. Once we're done, then we'll turn back."

Returning to where they had turned back the first time, and continuing into unexplored territory, they found another bear, another barricade barring what was now a shortcut, another door, and a good idea about how to handle all of them.

After the bear had cleared away the last barricade and the party had finished ducking around it, they continued further into the next clearing - a small trail around a pond. It was evening now, but it felt like they were nearing the end of the maze. Turning around the lake, they all saw another patch of ruin: it was a set of stairs leading down.

"Well, that's the end of the first floor. I wonder what the second will be like," Maurice commented, leading the others towards it.

"Hey, you don't have the energy to go down another floor," Gabriel protested.

"Just a quick peek shouldn't hurt," Maurice said. "It's just a few steps-"

The conversation ground to a halt when the swordwoman suddenly motioned for everyone to be quiet. A set of hurried footsteps were echoing up the stairs and a large figure came into view.

"Oh…! It's you folks," the running man gasped as he stepped out into the open.

"Whirlwind?" Maurice responded, equally surprised.

"Who is this?" Francis asked, nonplussed.

"An explorer we met in the Mine," the leader whispered to him, reflecting that they'd never heard his real name. He, it seemed, didn't make a habit of handing out business cards.

"Whirlwind" had had a serious expression as he ran, though seeing friendly faces seemed to relax him a bit. He had reason to be stern, though, as he was carrying an injured man over his shoulder. This other man was wearing the armor of a Tharsis soldier, and a hastily made bandage on his head. He was clearly unconscious, and not likely to wake up anytime soon.

"Sorry, but no time to chat. This poor Tharsis boy… looks like he ran into bad news down there…" "Whirlwind said choppily, sweat running down his brow as he tried to project a calm image.

"Do you need any help with him?" Maurice asked while the leader was still considering the situation.

"Yeah, we might be able to stabilize him here-" Gabriel spoke up. He was still in good shape and ready to cast a curative spell or two.

"Well, thanks, that's mighty kind of you. Is everyone around these parts as nice as you?"

'_Perhaps you should tell me_,' the leader thought, '_You've been here longer than I have…_'

"Whirlwind" smiled as he continued, "But it's okay. I've got this taken care of. And waiting here for long enough to treat him probably wouldn't end well for him, sorry. Still, whatever got him down there… Once the Count hears of it, he might want something done." And with that, "Whirlwind" readjusted the unconscious soldier over his shoulder and jogged past them, probably towards the Geomagnetic pole.

"What now?" James asked.

"...One look downstairs, then we immediately head back to the Pole," the leader stated. "By the time we make it there, Olivia and Kylie will be waiting for us there."

Maurice was a bit disappointed that the second basement of the woodlands looked much the same as the first. Even the lighting was the same, although it couldn't be sunlight now…

"About time you made it back," Olivia said, standing just outside the Pole. "How did it go?"

"All quests successful," the leader stated, "Although the second floor will be more dangerous. Did you see "Whirlwind"?"

"Yes, we did. What happened down there? It looked like a bear had mauled that soldier?" Olivia asked.

"That's as good a guess as any," Gabriel said, "I should probably check back in at the clinic if things have gotten that bad."

With that, the team returned to Tharsis

Back in the city, T-seeker saw a group of soldiers gathered in a corner of the city square, shouting angrily. They could only pick up parts of what they were saying - things like "That monster…!" and "We can't let this stand!" While the leader was wondering what happened, a familiar voice spoke up - "Whirlwind" again.

"Hey, you made it back safe. Great!" the older adventurer said.

"What happened to the soldier?" Maurice asked.

"Oh, he'll live, though he'll be in the hospital for a while," "Whirlwind" assured them. While the seven guildmembers each breathed a sigh of relief, he continued more solemnly. "I was lucky to even bring him back, though… Sounds like the rest of his troop was completely wiped out."

"By what?" the leader probed.

"From what I got out of him before he passed out, they got attacked by some bear creature with blood red fur," "Whirlwind responded. As opposed to the purple-furred bear creatures they had been dealing with. "The Outland Count's not taking this one lying down. If you go to the Grand Court, he'll ask you for its head. But I wouldn't recommend that you go charging down into the second basement. Fact is, the monsters there are too strong. But if you follow the river by the Lush Woodlands west, there's this place called the Small Orchard. The monsters there are perfect to do a little training on. If you want practice, that's where I'd go." Better safe than sorry, as the ancients said. "Well, I should take off. Make sure you don't do anything reckless, okay? That'll lead nowhere but trouble," Whirlwind chuckled as he walked to the city gates.

At the Dancing Peacock, the leader signed off on the two quests they had completed that day.

"Thank you for your hard work. I have heard praise for you on the lips of the novice explorers who pass through here," the proprietress said, "So this wooden box is one of the ways that explorers look after each other, is it...?"

"Yes. I should place something useful inside, once we have something worth sharing," the leader mused aloud. "As for our other quest," he began digging the herb out of their supplies.

"Were you able to get some Culantro? Oh… is this it? It is a rather… very well, an extremely unique scent. Perhaps it is simply too strong for my tastes," she said, her feelings about the herb clear. "Though I admit to being curious as to how Dalla plans to use this in a dish. Maybe I will sample some once I deliver it to her. Would you like to accompany me there?"

"...Perhaps another time."

In a quick visit to the altier to sell their collected materials, Wynne quickly took an interest in the "Luck hammer" they had been rewarded with for the day's quests.

"Hey, it's da T-seeker crew! Guess what! We just finished working wit da forging furnace! Now we can use hammers like dat one ta forge weapons for ya and make em stronga," she began to explain, "Ta forge a weapon, we need summore o da materials dey're made from. But if ya already brung dem to us, ya don't gotta do it again. Da affect of forging changes depending on da hammer ya use. We gots our own hammers too, so ya can give one a try right now!"

After handing over the hammer and selling some things they'd poached in the labyrinth, Olivia picked a bow off the shelf and handed it over to the blacksmith, "I'll buy this, but can you improve it now?"

Wynne grabbed it and a spare hammer and set to work, "Easy!"

The guild stopped in the inn's lobby to talk.

"We need to think about our next move," the leader said, "I'm not sure we're ready to face a monster that wiped out a Tharsis platoon, but the forest labyrinth is our only lead on how to get through the ravine. We do have other locations to investigate, but they likely won't lead anywhere."

"Well, I think we should check out this Orchard anyway," Maurice said, "There might be treasure there. And we can use it as an excuse to train more."

"I dislike excuses," the leader pouted.

"Well, there's no reason to rush too far ahead," Gabriel said, "We're not going to die of old age anytime soon. And we might actually be ahead of the curve now. A stronger guild would be fighting that… thing already. Or found a way through the ravine," the older man pointed out, "But they haven't, have they?"

"...The Outland Count's challenge was made recently. We're still among the first wave of explorers," the leader said. There was no need to make it a race yet. "We can afford to be cautious and check every minor maze."

"I guess that settles it, then," Olivia spoke up, "Tomorrow, we take another look around the Windy Plains for this orchard."


	14. The Side Dungeon

The next day not everyone showed up to the morning meeting.

"T-seeker," the leader read aloud from the note that had been left behind, "Sorry about disappearing so suddenly, but now's not the time for me to be traipsing around dungeons with you. Plenty of other guilds are going to need help after running into that big boss, so I'm going back on call at the clinic. Yeah, I know how much you'll miss having me around, but you haven't needed me quite as much. And I know you're not going deeper into the labyrinth just yet. When you do, and you think you'll need me, drop by and I'll see if I can make time to join the active expedition again. In the meantime, I think you'll be alright. Good luck out there, Gabriel" There was a long pause while everyone took this news in.

"I don't believe this!" Maurice cried out, "He's part of our core team! He can't just leave whenever he feels like it!"

"Frustrating," the leader commented, "But it seems he has. We all knew that unlike the rest of us, he has obligations outside of the guild. We shall just have to make due without him."

"Ah, I've been practicing a restoration technique," Kylie piped up, "How can I explain… It works differently than his, but it will help keep our injuries in check."

"...Very well. Francis Crowe, you wait here. The rest of us will investigate other areas of the plains."

Francis nodded silently, but then noticed something. "...What of the Skyship? We used the Geomagnetic Pole to return to town, and left it at the labyrinth entrance."

"Ah, I was wondering when someone would remember that," the leader smiled. "I had attempted a spell that would connect the Skytalon to us, so that it would be transported nearby whenever one of us transported through the field. If it worked, then it will be at the dock now. If not… then we'll need to go back to the labyrinth to pick it up."

There were three more quests posted at the bar.

"Find the headwaters: There is a large river in the Windy Plains that flows near Tharsis. I need to know the exact location of its source. Reward: Warding bell x2."

"That is another request from the Outland Count. This time, he wants you to find a source of water. You can learn more by talking to him at the Grand Court." the proprietress noted.

"It looks simple enough," the guild leader noted. "What about this one?"

"Atelier Request II: It's me, Wynne from the Berund Atelier! I need some Dragon's Blood for a new item. Somebody please get some for me! Reward: Poison Blade"

"That request was submitted by the Berund Atelier," the proprietress recalled, "They said they crafted a new item using Dragon's blood. If you would like to know more, visit the Atelier."

"Dragon's blood..?" the leader muttered, "I'll take that one too then. And the next?"

"I found a hole on BF2 of the Lush Woodlands… I looked inside at night, and a monster jumped out! I'm so scared! Reward: 1000en"

"This is a request specifically to investigate B2F of the Lush woodlands. It mentions a large hole on an unnaturally caved-in area on the southern path… Have you seen this?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"The client took a lit torch at night to look inside, and was met with an unknown monster springing out. My hopes are that it is merely a misunderstanding… but someone must look into it. If that will be you… Then I await your swift return. The woodlands are dangerous at knight, so be on your guard."

Meanwhile, Maurice was speaking with some of the other people at the bar.

An explorer spoke up to her, but wouldn't meet her eyes. Instead, he was focused on the map he had out for planning. "Seems like you're having a rough time in the Lush Woodlands. I just cleared B1F, but that second floor… I'm thinking I should scale back and train a while at the Small Orchard right next door to the woodlands. But then again, the Small Orchard has that horrible monster that charges twice as fast as you can run.I don't know… I feel like it's the devil I know or the devil I don't," he slumped over and sighed, "Maybe I should just stay home."

Maurice looked away so that he couldn't see her expression. The information was nice, but he seemed too timid to make it far as an explorer. Obviously, he'd "cleared" the Lush woodlands on T-seeker's heels, after they'd already cleared away the barricades.

A visit to the court found the Outland count preoccupied. "Ah, hello. I'm sure you've heard, but a red-furred monster was last seen in the lower reaches of the lush woodlands. It has claimed the lives of many of our soldiers. Left unchecked, it may prove a menace to you explorers, too. I've issued a mission to subjugate the beast. It is the most dangerous task I've requested, but it must be done. If you believe your skill to be up to the challenge, then by all means, accept the mission."

"Very well," the leader said, taking a pen and signing T-seeker up for the mission, "The more guilds take the job, the more likely it will be completed." Although, he didn't plan to make a serious attempt for a while.

"Until now, the greatest threat we'd known in the Lush Woodlands were the black bears… the Cutters," The Count continued, "But now we're getting reports of a bear with red fur, as if stained with blood. It seems much more fearsome. Encountering new species means, on the one hand, that our explorations are advancing, but we can't celebrate yet. Not after these casualties." He seemed a bit disheartened at the price of progress, but quickly riled himself up again. "It's safe to say that this red-furred beast has the run of the lower floors. And so I have issued a mission to Eliminate the threat lurking in the Lush Woodlands! We must secure our explorers' safety by eradicating whatever thwarts our search, starting with this beast. The mission will be more dangerous than any you have faced, so it would not do for you to be unprepared. I have asked the Guildmaster to supply you with something that will help you stay alive in the labyrinths. Stop by the Explorers Guild and see him before you go any further. That's all from me! Best of luck, then."

"One more thing…" The leader spoke up, "I realize that you're occupied, but we've also taken your request regarding the river."

"Hmm? Ah, the request! Yes, yes, are you the ones who accepted it?" The Count brightened up as he remembered this lighter mission, "Then I dare say I can ask for a large favor. Do you know the wide river that flows around the city? That river's water has long sustained our people. What I want is to discover the river's source. It's bound to be somewhere in the Windy Plains. If you can find it, report back to me here. Though if you already know where it is, there's no need to wait!"

"Not yet, unfortunately. But it shouldn't be long."

As they left the grand court, they passed by a young girl.

"Wynne?" Olivia was the first to speak, "I'm surprised to see you out of the Atelier."

Wynne responded with a smile. "Wow, didja have some bidness wit the Outland Count? He's all fired up about dis mission. I got da big shipment of Pole Stones and Silver whistles he ksed for. Iunno if ya know, but Pole Stones carry ya to da last stairs ya used. An da Silver Whistle takes ya clean outta da labyrint. Kinda like da Ariadne Thread, akshally. I got em out in da store, so c'mon and take a look-see if ya wanna!"

In a brief visit to the Explorers Guild:

"There y'are, T-seeker. The Outland Count told me a bit about what you'll be facing," the Guildmaster spoke up as they entered the guild, casting a critical eye over them. "The red beastie on B2F of the Lush Woodlands… you're a mite lacking in strength to be hunting that thing. That's why, as overseer of the guild, I've got a new kind of skill for you." He handed over three bound scrolls, labeled Dual Fangs, Shield Tactic, and Book of Flight. "That there's a Burst Skill. The essence of the techniques your forebears used is written down in it. There are more to find, and I suggest y'do. Burst skills will do a lot to up your survivability in the wild."

It turned out that the spell to bind the Skytalon to T-seeker through the Geomagnetic field had been a success, and they soon headed off, passing around the Burst Skill scrolls to try to memorize them. As the airship drifted along, they were lucky enough to fish up a Sakura Trout, which they traded to Kirjonen for a Harvest Charm.

Afterwards, they followed the river up past the Lush Woodlands, and spotted a grove of brightly colored fruit trees on the opposite bank. Many animals seemed to flock there to feed on the fruits. It was exciting to think of what they might find with a closer look. But, the leader announced that they would continue further on to find the river's source before investigating.

Eventually, they arrived at a quiet spot surrounded by cliffs. There was a cool wind here, and the green cliffs sheltered them from the sun. On a closer look, the water seemed to be gushing from cracks in the cliff face.

"So, this is the river source we were hired to look for," Kylie said, "You know I have to admit I like these simple quests."

"It is rather relaxing," the leader said, "...Discovering a simple truth like this can only make people happy.

"Wow," Maurice muttered, "That's surprising coming from him."

After a quick lunch, the skyship landed at the Small Orchard.

The explorers stepped off from the ship onto a small, winding path. They hadn't expected to find anyone, but as they turned a corner, they spotted a Tharsis soldier.

"Hm? Do you have business in this labyrinth too?" His voice and expression were both cheerful, even through his helmet. "The worst this place has are a few weak fawns, so this'll be a breeze. I'll finish up quick and hit the bar!" He seemed dubiously confident for a man in a dangerous labyrinth. He left, whistling to himself.

"I guess we shouldn't have much to worry about, then," Kylie said.

"No, that's wrong. What about that really fast monster we heard about in the bar?" Maurice protested.

The guild leader hmmed, "...Fawns seldom leave the protection of their parents," he finally said, "...Not even Furyhorn fawns."

"...An FOE?" Olivia responded.

"I'd need to see one to be sure. But hold your fire if we see them. The ordinary monsters will be bad enough without provoking more."

A little further along, they spotted one grazing in the distance.

"As I thought, FOE," he muttered, "These "Furyfawns" are closer to our capabilities than others we've seen. But it would be better if we didn't provoke whatever guardian they have. This way," He led the group down a different path.

They found another hammer in a treasure chest. This one was a poison hammer - useful if they wanted to make their weapons poisonous. Continuing on, they were able to reach a spot where a Furyfawn had been grazing, and pick up some uneaten fruit. Some was a type of nut called a Shea fruit. They planned to move on, but Olivia noted that another tree nearby had been chewed on, causing red resin to drip down. The leader cradled his head as he recalled that this plant was colloquially known as a "Dragon Tree". Which of course would make its sap "Dragon's blood". And here they'd been worried that quest would take ages to get around to.

The leader estimated that they had mapped half of the small maze when disaster struck. James hadn't been standing up to the enemies as well as usual - Kylie's Regen Waltz was quite slow-acting. So it should not have been such a surprise when he crumpled when two frogs jumped on top of him at once. Kylie tried to boost their defenses to make up for his absence, but she didn't last long herself. Maurice fought valiantly, but the giant frogs were durable. By the time the leader had focused a spell to finish them off, he and Olivia were the only ones still standing.

"Damnation…" he said, feeling for a pulse on Kylie, the most fragile of them, "If we don't get them magical healing, then they are dead," he stated.

"We were careless…," Olivia muttered, "But we can get that. An Ariadne thread-"

"Of course. But one last thing…" He pulled the escape item out of their pack, and whispered a few magic words as he unrolled it…

"What was that about?" Olivia asked, as their surroundings faded away to be replaced by the streets of Tharsis.

"I'll explain later. No time now," he responded rushing towards the clinic while dragging Maurice and James' bodies behind him.


End file.
